people 1 of 2

Definition of peoplenext

people

2 of 2

verb

as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants a science-fiction novel about a mission to people Mars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of people
Plural noun
Four people were injured Sunday evening when a speeding Jeep clipped another car and rolled on southbound Interstate 25 in Adams County, according to fire officials. Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2026 Still, people keep finding ways to imperil their files, which grow ever more numerous and irreplaceable. Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
The mountains are peopled with guides, trail keepers and fellow travelers, as well as those who have died on their treks when the weather turned. Sadie Stein, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025 Colonies founded by charters to private companies and peopled by restless dreamers gave us an entrepreneurial spirit from the outset. The Editors, National Review, 28 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for people
Recent Examples of Synonyms for people
Verb
  • Moist didn’t always inhabit such a precarious position in our psyche.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Steve Whitmire inhabited Kermit the Frog, Beaker, Statler, Rizzo the Rat, Link Hogthrob, Lips and the Newsman across a single film.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • It was populated by neither background singers nor a band.
    Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
  • Librarians should respect a highest-common denominator standard when considering which among the many choices should populate shelves.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“People.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/people. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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